1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sample container, comprising a housing which forms a sample space for receiving a sample and has at least one circular opening, and also comprising a spherical closing element.
2. Description of Related Art
Sample containers of this type are used in particular within the scope of biotechnological methods in order to process a biological sample or a biological material, such as a sample containing nucleic acids. These sample containers are used for example to duplicate nucleic acids in vitro within the scope of amplification reactions, such as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Here, the sample containers are used to receive the sample comprising the nucleic acid.
A large number of different sample containers that are routinely used as disposable products within the scope of appropriate biotechnological methods, such as PCR, are known from the prior art. Here, the sample containers are firstly filled with the sample, then closed in an airtight manner, and lastly supplied to the PCR process. Here, high demands are placed on the closure of the sample containers. On the one hand, the sample containers have to be reliably tightly sealed so as not to compromise the result of the PCR process by the undesired entry or exit of sample material. On the other hand, a large number of sample containers are routinely used within the scope of a PCR process and have to be filled and closed for this purpose. This should therefore be performed in an automated manner where possible. Furthermore, it must be possible to produce the sample containers cost-effectively, in particular because they are required in high number and are used as disposable products.
A generic sample container is known from EP 0 449 425 A2, wherein one end of a cylindrical housing, which forms a sample space, is provided with a circular opening that extends in a channel-shaped manner into the sample space. The opening channel tapers shortly before the transition into the sample space and thus forms a seal seat for a spherical closing element. Once the closing element has been fitted onto the seal seat, it is fixed by means of a closing plug.
As a three-part system, the sample container known from EP 0 449 425 A2 is not only relatively complex and therefore expensive, but can also only be closed in an automated manner with relatively high effort.